Chaka Khan reflects on impact of 'I'm Every Woman' on LGBTQ+ community

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the American Music Awards gathered some of the most iconic names in music throughout the past five decades for an iconic event worthy of such a special occasion on Sunday — the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special!

Some of our all-time favorite divas who performed during the special (which premiered Sunday, October 6 on CBS and Paramount+) included Jennifer Hudson, Gladys Knight, Mariah Carey, and the one and only, four-time AMA nominee Chaka Khan, who performed her timeless bop "I'm Every Woman" with the help of fellow legend Sheila E.

While the song's name suggests that it is a powerful anthem for women (and it absolutely is!), we'd be remiss not to mention how popular the song, which was originally released in 1978, has been for the LGBTQ+ community for decades! Heck, it's even been used in a Lip Sync for Your Life in the Emmy-winning reality competition RuPaul's Drag Race, which Chaka has guest judged on, so you already know it's a veritable gay anthem!

Out got the chance to catch up backstage at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special with the legend herself as she rehearsed for her performance, and she talked about the impact she's had on the gays, as well as her fondness and love for fellow R&B icon Whitney Houston, who further catapulted the popularity of "I'm Every Woman" when she covered it and included it on the soundtrack of the 1992 film The Bodyguard (you know, the best-selling soundtrack of all time!).

Out: I know you're performing "I'm Every Woman" tonight. That song is iconic, not just for the girls, but also for the gays. I feel like every gay bar in America has that song on rotation. So what's it feel like to have that much impact with the community and know that the gays still love you all these years later?

Chaka Khan: I love people. I don't care what the hell you are. I love you. That's none of my business who you are and what you're about. That's your business. If you're happy, I'm happy. I'm over the moon. So that's how I feel. It feels good to be loved. Anybody will tell you that, who is loved. That's the beauty of it, is that they see something and feel my love and they respond to that so I love it.

I know the late Whitney Houston also iconically covered "I'm Every Woman." Can you reflect on your relationship with her and how much, you both meant to each other, especially since you two are such icons.

We, we as girls, as people, we loved each other dearly. We have a very similar, very similar... what do you call it? We were like-minded people. We were very like-minded. Very smart. She was witty as hell. She was one of the funniest people I've ever, ever, ever known. I haven't laughed like that since she's been gone. I really do miss her physical presence. But make no mistake. She's very much with us still.

The American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special aired Sunday on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.